Flying-machine.



No. 882,435. I PATENTED MAR. 17

T. J. WHALEN.

FLYING MACHINE. AiPLIQATION FILED OCT. 13, 1906.

3-SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR THOMAS J.WHA LEN Wad/Z:

A TTOHNEYS No. 882,435. PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

' T. J. WHALEN.

FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 0GT.13, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES By m? body of the machine.

UNITED PATENT OFFTGE;

THOMASJ. WHALEN, OF MIDDLEBROOK, VIRGINIA.

FLYING-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 17. 1908.

Application filed October 13, 1906. Serial No. 338,781.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. l/VHALEN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Middlebrook, in the county of Augusta and State ofVirginia, have invented a Flying- Machine, of which the following is aspecification.

M invention is in the nature of a flying mac inc, and it consists .inthe novel construction and arrangement of the body frame, propellingdevices and steering de- "vices, WhlCll I Wlll now proceed to describegas bag. Fig. '4 is a pers ective view from the front, somewhat s i arto Fig. 2, but showing the paddles of the front propeller wheels. Fig. 5is a pe'rs ctive view of the ig. 6 is a cross-section of the same 'online 6 6 of Fig. 5, and

' Fi 7 is an enlarged section of one of the bottom of the framerepresenting v outrigger supports.-

7 hu s of the propeller wheels.

Similar reference letters indicate the same parts in all the views. Asshown in Fig. 3, a buoyant gas bag- M is employed as an auxiliary meansof sup-. porfi, but if practicable this may be dispensed wit A, A, B, B,C, C, re resents the skeleton frame of-the body which is shaped as aright angular triangular aeroplane having at the front A, A,a sharphorizontal edgeand diverging with an increased hei ht dimension to therear end B, O, C. The

the hypotenuse is designedto occupy a slight angle to the horizonta thefront end being raised, so that the bottom surface will tend to rise onthe air as the machine advances.

Transversely across the top of the frame are two rotating shafts E, E,see Figs. 1 and/ 2,-on the ends of which are carried the proeller wheelshereafter described.- The shafts F extend out a considerable distance oneither side of the body frame in order to give room for the paddles ofthe propeller wheels and these shafts are su ported by outwardlyprojecting rigid arms projectmg horizontally at right angles to theframe and forming The shafts. are joura .ve'rtical or verticalnaled inbearings e, e, on top of the frame and also in bearin s formed in anenlargement at the end of eac 1 arm ,1), as seen in Fig. 7.

To rotate the shafts 11sec Fig. 1, an on:

gine 1 turns a shaft 2, which bears a sprocket wheel 3. A chain belt 4connects the sprocket wheel with another s rocket wheel 5 fixed on atransverse shaft 6. On the shaft 6 are keyed two sprocket wheels 7, 7,which by means of two chain belts 8, 8, turn sprocket wheels 9, 9, onthe propeller shafts E, E. At each end of each shaft E there is apropeller wheel, the paddles V of which are hung upon radial spoke armsE Fig. 2, and which paddles are adjustable around their radial arms asaxes so that the planes of the paddles may be changed as the wheelsrotate. The radial arms E are three in number and are rigidly attachedto a central hub -E, which is rigidly fixed on the ends of the shaftsE.- The outer ends of the radial arms are all connected to a circularhoop or tire T which braces the arms and holds them against bending;

The ropeller paddles V are arranged to strike they 1pass down in fronton their revolution an t en after passing the middle vertical line belowthe shaft they turn ed ewise or toward lane as seen in ig. 1, and thusrise throug the air with but little resistance. The down stroke of thepaddles meets great resistance a amst the air and consequently producesa buoyant effect on the machine which lifts it up and also moves itforward. The arran ement of the three paddles for each prope ler wheelis a very important one. These three paddles are distributed an equaldistance apart, (120 de rees) around the cir- 'cumference and thisallows me to use very lar e and wide blade panels or vanes for the padles which may be turned on their individual axes, without interferingwith each other in turning, thus giving a powerful atland horizontallyupon the air as strokeagainst the air applroximating the efliciency of abirds wing. he spacing a art of the paddles, 120 degrees, also gives suicient clearance for the air as to avoid carrying dead air, thusincreasingthe lifting and propelling efficiency. To im art this rotaryadjustment to the vanes V about their axial arms E the paddles near theaxial, center have each a rigid pin p, see Fi s. 4 and 7, that plays inacam groove g in a stationary enlargement on'the outer end of each shaftsupport D.

, cam-groove is waved so as to alternately ,to the lane of the hoop Tand then to a lane 'um, or any light material and they are-held paddles.

are employed. The upper one'Y, see Fig. 3,

to cause the machine to rise or descend.

connecting the outer ends of said three arms and three relatively wideblade panels axially "oop. mounted along their middle lines on theraprodial arms and-means for changing their plane turn the paddle V to aposition at right angles coinci ent with the vertical plane of the Asthe two shafts thus rotate the four peller wheelsbeat down forciblyuponthe air (pf action in sequence as describe infront of their axes,lifting the i1 ing'rna- 2. A flying machine. comprising a car chine, butuse edgewise in rear'of't eir axes I frame made in trian ular sha e witha sharp with comparatively little resistance. The I horizontal edge atiront am gradually inpadclles V are made of a light skeleton frame Icreasing in vertical height to the rear, motor covered on one side bycanvas, silk, alumini I'mechanism within the same, four outwardlyextending arms rigidly attached to the car .frame an having bearings attheir outer ends as two rotating shafts arranged in said bearings inthe-arms and rovided with paddles adjustable about radial axes.

3. A flying machine, comprising a car frame having outwardly projectinrigid arms provided at theirout'erends Wifil shaft bearin s' and a wavedcam, rotary shafts j ourna ed on said arms and having at their endsrigid hubs with radial spolres'and paddles hinged about the nected tothe waved stationary cam to be turned to difl'erent lanes. 1

and braced a uniform distance apart in the hoo s or tire T connectingthe outer ends of tie radial arms forming the axes of said As shownthere are but two shafts to carry two propeller I may, owever, andpropeller,

E, E, eachdesigned wheels, one at each end. use any number of shafts Ewheels that may be desired.

On each side of the aeroplane bo'dy, see Figs. 5 and 6, are formedoverhanging chambers X whose bottoms a: are slightly above the bottom ofthe aeroplane at the rear and parallel with the top of the aero lane.The bot-toms of the overhanging c ambers are made of glass forobservation purposes to permitthe occupants of the car to look downtoward the earth when in flight without risk. These overhanging sidechambers also form storage com artments for carrying ballast,provisions, etc. -The bottoms a; of the over hanging side chambers aresufficiently above. the bottom of the car as not to come in contact withthe earth when at rest, thus pro-- tecting the glass from being broken.To steer the machine two rudders X and Z 4. A flying mac body made as ari ht triangle having a flat bottom with horizontal'sharp 'ed e frontanda gradually increased vertical toward the rear.

5. An aerial car having a triangular shaped body with a sharp horizontalfront edge to form an aeroplane and having overhangin side chambers withglazed bottoms arrange above the bottom of the car.

6.- A flying machine lifting and wheel, consisting of a rotary shabearing three e ually spaced radial arms, a circumis arranged about avertical axis and is for ferentia ring. connecting the outer ends ofsteering to the right or left and the lower one said three arms, andthree relatively wide ipropelling Z is arranged about a horizontal axis,and isblade anels axially mounted along their middle ines on the radialarms, and means for changing their planes of action in sequence.

7. A right angle triangular shaped aerial car having a sharp horizontalfront edge and a maximum, vertical height at the rear, with a door inthe rear end, a rudder on a horizontal axis below said door, and arudder on a vertical axis above said door.

THOMAS J. WHALEN.

These rudders may be worked by suitable arms and cables in the usualway. 4

To give access to the interior of the car a dooris arranged-at the rearand deeper end of the car as seen in Fig. 5.

1. A flying machine, comprising a car frame, a motor mechanism andlifting and l propelling devices consisting of two rotary shafts eachhearing at each end three equally spaced radial arms, a circumferentialring! Witnesses JOHN J. FLAVIN, JosEPH L. WHALEN.

vine having an aeroplane thickness radial spokes and con-

